How much energy will the 2016 Rio Olympics consume?

5 August 2016 by Carl Brennand

The 2016 Olympic Games begins in Rio de Janeiro tonight and excitement is growing for the 17-day festival of sport, but what about the environmental impact of the event?

A report from edie.net (‘Rio 2016 Olympics: How sustainable is the greatest show on Earth?’ – 4 August 2016) has estimated that the total environmental impact of the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be 3.6 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (mtco2eq). This would be an increase on the London 2012 Games, which recorded 3.3 mtco2eq.

Almost half of the overall figure of 3.6 mtco2eq is accounted for by construction and infrastructure improvements which occur before the Games begin, along with the significant repercussions of 28,000 athletes from 205 countries travelling to and from Brazil by plane.

Temporary structures and catering are responsible for the majority of CO2 emissions during the event itself, while low-carbon transport and logistics measures are in place to minimise the impact of the 1,500 buses moving athletes and staff between venues.

Also contributing to the carbon footprint of the Games are media activities, venue energy use and sporting equipment.

While you’re enjoying the Olympic spectacle on TV over the next fortnight, you may want to take a moment to consider the impact of your company’s energy consumption.

Many companies are aware of the need to reduce carbon footprint and lower energy consumption but struggle to find the time and personnel to implement the necessary changes.

That’s where Gibbons Engineering Group comes in. We provide bespoke engineering solutions to help operators of electric motor-driven processes to increase energy efficiency and save money. Here’s a taste of what our engineers can do to help: